:: Check out the special coverage
Gazzinelli, Silvia and Helder: scientists have shown how technology can save and transform lives. Photo: Henrique Nobre
The afternoon of the first day (20/05) of 'Jubilee Symposium IOC 125 years' was dedicated to discussions about vaccines, nanotechnology and artificial intelligence.
The round tables, moderated by researchers from IOC, received important names from the scientific field who use the latest technology to develop products and initiatives capable of bringing health, care and well-being to the population.
The round table “Vaccines in Brazil: contributions and innovation” received the researcher from Fiocruz-Minas and professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Ricardo Gazzinelli. The activity was moderated by researcher Ada Alves, head of the Laboratory of Biotechnology and Physiology of Viral Infections at the IOC.
In his opening speech, Gazzinelli highlighted the pioneering role of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute in scientific work.
“It is a pleasure to be in this House. IOC is a pioneer in the field of biomedical sciences in Brazil and almost everything we do today has a bit of the heritage of this Institute”, he praised.
Located in Minas Gerais, the Vaccine Technology Center coordinated by Ricardo Gazzinelli develops studies for the production of vaccines for various diseases. Photo: Henrique Nobre
The researcher presented some data on SpiN-Tec, a 100% national vaccine against Covid-19, developed at the UFMG Vaccine Technology Center (CTVacinas), where he is coordinator.
Creating a vaccine is no easy task. In addition to the need to produce an innovation that neutralizes the pathogen (in this case, a respiratory virus), the specialist pointed out serious problems that prevent and/or delay the development of vaccines in Brazil.
“Our country has a low infrastructure for producing clinical batches of vaccines, we have limited interaction with regulatory agencies, little experience in clinical trials, in addition to the lack of interaction between research groups and the industrial sector,” he commented.
Gazzinelli pointed out that after phase 1 and 2 clinical trials, SpiN-Tec presented encouraging results, with a low level of side effects, without any serious cases.
“We are currently expecting to begin phase 3 trials,” he said, adding that he hopes to soon publish data on the definition of the dosing schedule, safety and efficacy rate.
“What makes nanoparticles so special and with great potential for use in the health sector?”
With this question, the professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Sílvia Guterres, opened the round table “Nanotechnology: from basic research to innovation”. The moderation was in charge of researcher Andressa Bernardi, from the Inflammation Laboratory of IOC.
A technology enthusiast, the specialist explained that nanoparticles are highly complex materials with the ability to selectively target the body, making it easier to compartmentalize drugs and provide protection. They can be used in applications in various areas, especially in the health sector.
Guterrez commented that the field of nanotechnology is recent, with the first article on nanoparticles in the health area published just over 50 years ago.
“The number of articles addressing nanotechnology and the development of some therapy jumped from 297 a few years ago to more than 21 in 2024 and continues to expand. It is an area of science that is undergoing vast growth,” he stressed.
Silvia Guterres holds a PhD in pharmaceutical nanotechnology from the University of Paris XI and is one of the most respected names in the field. Photo: Henrique Nobre
“There are currently more than 450 clinical trials, with the largest focus on cancer treatments, being led in the Northern Hemisphere of the globe,” he added.
Silvia has dedicated herself to studies on the effectiveness of using nanocapsules in the formulation of therapies. One example of a product in which Silvia and her group have contributed using nanotechnology is a sunscreen with level 100 protection.
“Science gains value when it reaches the market, based on the interest of large pharmaceutical companies in producing medicines that benefit society,” he highlighted, adding that there are around 100 nanoproducts on the market, some of which are even supplied by the SUS, even if it is via legal proceedings given their still high value.
The expert highlighted that artificial intelligence, alternative methods and 3D printing are some transversal trends that can contribute to an even more promising future for nanotechnology.
“We have a large number of challenges to overcome, such as toxicity presented in the initial phase, wrong choice of nanocarrier, weak correlation between preclinical and clinical models, lack of quality of reproducibility of the production process and high selection of patients for clinical trials”, he considered.
Closing the first day of activities, the round table “Artificial intelligence and its impact on biomedical research” welcomed Helder Nakaya, a researcher at the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, in São Paulo. The moderation was conducted by the vice-director of Research, Technological Development and Innovation of the IOC, Luciana Garzoni.
Starting his presentation with a reflection on the comparison between health in the early 1900s and today, Helder drew attention to an important point.
“Beyond the circulating infectious and parasitic diseases and the lack of infrastructure, society at the beginning of the 20th century had rudimentary technology and knowledge. Today, we live in a highly technological and scientific world. And we need to have this in our favor to promote health for the population,” he explained.
Helder Nakaya is involved in the development of several technologies that use artificial intelligence to benefit the population. Photo: Henrique Nobre
Helder dedicates his days to developing software capable of making the lives of doctors, biologists, nurses and other science and health professionals easier.
His projects have used technology to unravel scientific questions in the areas of precision medicine, cognitive computing, computer vision, generative artificial intelligence and epidemiology.
One of the technologies he created helps, for example, to understand in just a few seconds the result of a huge amount of files generated by reading cells in the laboratory.
Other software designed for neonatal care allows you to identify whether newborns are breathing correctly or whether they may be experiencing respiratory problems.
Using artificial intelligence, he led the first single-cell transcriptomic study on cutaneous leishmaniasis, created a tool that allows visualizing academic productivity in a practical and intuitive way, as well as an application against misinformation and many others.
Packed auditorium: sharing of ideas and knowledge marked the first day of the commemorative symposium. Photo: Henrique Nobre
For the specialist, the new era of medicine will come from the use of AI that will help patients take care of their health.
“It could be from a call and/or message received by machines reminding the patient to take medication or schedule appointments,” he commented.
:: Check out the special coverage
Gazzinelli, Silvia and Helder: scientists have shown how technology can save and transform lives. Photo: Henrique Nobre
The afternoon of the first day (20/05) of 'Jubilee Symposium IOC 125 years' was dedicated to discussions about vaccines, nanotechnology and artificial intelligence.
The round tables, moderated by researchers from IOC, received important names from the scientific field who use the latest technology to develop products and initiatives capable of bringing health, care and well-being to the population.
The round table “Vaccines in Brazil: contributions and innovation” received the researcher from Fiocruz-Minas and professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Ricardo Gazzinelli. The activity was moderated by researcher Ada Alves, head of the Laboratory of Biotechnology and Physiology of Viral Infections at the IOC.
In his opening speech, Gazzinelli highlighted the pioneering role of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute in scientific work.
“It is a pleasure to be in this House. IOC is a pioneer in the field of biomedical sciences in Brazil and almost everything we do today has a bit of the heritage of this Institute”, he praised.
Located in Minas Gerais, the Vaccine Technology Center coordinated by Ricardo Gazzinelli develops studies for the production of vaccines for various diseases. Photo: Henrique Nobre
The researcher presented some data on SpiN-Tec, a 100% national vaccine against Covid-19, developed at the UFMG Vaccine Technology Center (CTVacinas), where he is coordinator.
Creating a vaccine is no easy task. In addition to the need to produce an innovation that neutralizes the pathogen (in this case, a respiratory virus), the specialist pointed out serious problems that prevent and/or delay the development of vaccines in Brazil.
“Our country has a low infrastructure for producing clinical batches of vaccines, we have limited interaction with regulatory agencies, little experience in clinical trials, in addition to the lack of interaction between research groups and the industrial sector,” he commented.
Gazzinelli pointed out that after phase 1 and 2 clinical trials, SpiN-Tec presented encouraging results, with a low level of side effects, without any serious cases.
“We are currently expecting to begin phase 3 trials,” he said, adding that he hopes to soon publish data on the definition of the dosing schedule, safety and efficacy rate.
“What makes nanoparticles so special and with great potential for use in the health sector?”
With this question, the professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Sílvia Guterres, opened the round table “Nanotechnology: from basic research to innovation”. The moderation was in charge of researcher Andressa Bernardi, from the Inflammation Laboratory of IOC.
A technology enthusiast, the specialist explained that nanoparticles are highly complex materials with the ability to selectively target the body, making it easier to compartmentalize drugs and provide protection. They can be used in applications in various areas, especially in the health sector.
Guterrez commented that the field of nanotechnology is recent, with the first article on nanoparticles in the health area published just over 50 years ago.
“The number of articles addressing nanotechnology and the development of some therapy jumped from 297 a few years ago to more than 21 in 2024 and continues to expand. It is an area of science that is undergoing vast growth,” he stressed.
Silvia Guterres holds a PhD in pharmaceutical nanotechnology from the University of Paris XI and is one of the most respected names in the field. Photo: Henrique Nobre
“There are currently more than 450 clinical trials, with the largest focus on cancer treatments, being led in the Northern Hemisphere of the globe,” he added.
Silvia has dedicated herself to studies on the effectiveness of using nanocapsules in the formulation of therapies. One example of a product in which Silvia and her group have contributed using nanotechnology is a sunscreen with level 100 protection.
“Science gains value when it reaches the market, based on the interest of large pharmaceutical companies in producing medicines that benefit society,” he highlighted, adding that there are around 100 nanoproducts on the market, some of which are even supplied by the SUS, even if it is via legal proceedings given their still high value.
The expert highlighted that artificial intelligence, alternative methods and 3D printing are some transversal trends that can contribute to an even more promising future for nanotechnology.
“We have a large number of challenges to overcome, such as toxicity presented in the initial phase, wrong choice of nanocarrier, weak correlation between preclinical and clinical models, lack of quality of reproducibility of the production process and high selection of patients for clinical trials”, he considered.
Closing the first day of activities, the round table “Artificial intelligence and its impact on biomedical research” welcomed Helder Nakaya, a researcher at the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, in São Paulo. The moderation was conducted by the vice-director of Research, Technological Development and Innovation of the IOC, Luciana Garzoni.
Starting his presentation with a reflection on the comparison between health in the early 1900s and today, Helder drew attention to an important point.
“Beyond the circulating infectious and parasitic diseases and the lack of infrastructure, society at the beginning of the 20th century had rudimentary technology and knowledge. Today, we live in a highly technological and scientific world. And we need to have this in our favor to promote health for the population,” he explained.
Helder Nakaya is involved in the development of several technologies that use artificial intelligence to benefit the population. Photo: Henrique Nobre
Helder dedicates his days to developing software capable of making the lives of doctors, biologists, nurses and other science and health professionals easier.
His projects have used technology to unravel scientific questions in the areas of precision medicine, cognitive computing, computer vision, generative artificial intelligence and epidemiology.
One of the technologies he created helps, for example, to understand in just a few seconds the result of a huge amount of files generated by reading cells in the laboratory.
Other software designed for neonatal care allows you to identify whether newborns are breathing correctly or whether they may be experiencing respiratory problems.
Using artificial intelligence, he led the first single-cell transcriptomic study on cutaneous leishmaniasis, created a tool that allows visualizing academic productivity in a practical and intuitive way, as well as an application against misinformation and many others.
Packed auditorium: sharing of ideas and knowledge marked the first day of the commemorative symposium. Photo: Henrique Nobre
For the specialist, the new era of medicine will come from the use of AI that will help patients take care of their health.
“It could be from a call and/or message received by machines reminding the patient to take medication or schedule appointments,” he commented.
The non-profit reproduction of the text is allowed as long as the source is cited (Comunicação / Instituto Oswaldo Cruz)
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